Tenderness
by ArcanicSoul
Summary: A compilation of moments between basketball player Yuzu and ice queen head cheerleader Mei! With the occasional appearance of their mischievous friends.
1. Why Yuzu

Yuzu held back a sigh, one of exasperation. Over the course of the last five months, she had to deal with a lot, including making herself ousted as a gyaru, earning a friend named Harumi with that title, gaining a step-sister who seemed more trouble than it was worth and finally joining the basketball team. As much as she preferred fashion over athleticism, colleges did like to see that the female participated in extracurricular school activities. And thus, her recent position as the small forward on the team began.

But this, this was testing her limits. Her step-sister, Mei, had been more involved with the school extracurricular activities by the time they had become step-sisters, having become the head of the cheerleader squad. It was hard to imagine, a stoic face going with that stereotypical preppy personality and the rather revealing cheerleader uniform but she made it work somehow. That part didn't bother Yuzu much. It was nice knowing someone had her back while she was on the court.

No, the part that bothered Yuzu the most was the number of fangirls surrounding Mei. Renowned as the ice queen of beauty, it wasn't hard for several girls to fall for her. Perhaps it was flattering but for the blonde, it was beyond irritating.

Staring at the black-haired ice queen, Yuzu wracked her brains wondering why she was so irritated at seeing the swarm of fangirls. Sure, she found Mei attractive and sure, she maybe wanted her in a romantic sense but still! What was so great about Mei that every day, without fail during practice, these fangirls would come by and confess their undying love for her? What was so great about Mei that no matter how many times they got rejected or ignored, they would come back wanting for more?

Actually, she can't talk on that second account. She may or may not have been guilty of doing the same thing. But still! What was it? What about this scene was bothering her so much?

All of a sudden, one of her teammates, Yuki, shouted out," Mei, look out!" And without thought, Yuzu leapt forward with her hand stretched out to receive the ball. Except there was one problem.

Instead of her hand receiving the ball, somewhere else decided to receive it. And that was somewhere else was her face. Almost instantly after the ball landed on her nose, the force of the hit causing her to the back of her head against a nearby bleacher. She clasped her most likely broken nose, curling up in pain. Her head was ringing from the hit. Disoriented, she was vaguely aware of a hand moving to clasp her cheek in a most loving manner, a soft voice calling out her name. Then what felt like seconds later, she felt two people lifting her up on each side of her but who they were, Yuzu couldn't tell. She heard something about "nurse" and after realizing she was in safe hands, let go of reality, slipping into unconsciousness.

Yuzu woke up with a jerk, well tried to anyway. The headache ringing in her head was still ringing about, throbbing when she tried to sit up. Squinting, she tried to recognize her surroundings, recognizing it as the nurse's office. It took her a few moments to remember, remember that she had tried to catch the basketball from hitting Mei to only then receive it on her face.

A blush instantly enveloped her face at the remembrance of how clumsy she was and even worse, it was in front of her crush! Thankfully she noticed the presence of someone else before she proceeded to bury her in the pillow and roll around in anguish.

Wait was that person who she thought she was? Could her most likely concussion be causing her hallucinations? "Mei?" She called out, her eyes wide with confusion. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at practice with your teammates? Don't you guys have that big competition later this week?"

Looking up from her book, Mei gave her that piercing look she was known for," First off, I'm here because a certain someone thought it would be nice to get injured while being my rescuer. Second, I should be and I do but," she cleared her throat, tucking her hair behind her ears in an attempt to dissuade her blush," There are some things a bit more important than such trivial matters."

Yuzu had to admit, she was floored from the statement before responding with a grin," We should probably tell Mama what happened. And I'll probably have to rest from activities for a while, get a proper check-up."

Just then, Harumin busted in the door, shouting," I heard what happened! You okay, Yuzu?!" She leaned closer to the bed, trying to inspect how injured Yuzu was besides the obvious huge bandage on her nose and the gauze wrapped around her head. "You have to admit, it was kind of stupid to leap out like that without any thought." She scolded.

Yuzu shrugged off the concern, opting to trap the other in a headlock. "I'm fine! Probably need some bedrest but after that I'll be free to do whatever you want! Like shopping, discounts and a girl's night!" She sealed her promise with a knuckle rub to Harumin's head. As flattering as it was to see Mei when she woke up, it was as equally flattering knowing her best friend would rush to her side like this. "But for now, I need to get the green light from the nurse and head back home. Don't want to worry Mama more than I already have when she hears the news later."

And with that, the nurse came by to check up on Yuzu. Conclusively, it wasn't sure if Yuzu did have a concussion or not but given the situation, better be safe. And so, Yuzu left with Mei with instructions to be careful for 24 hours and be aware of any upcoming symptoms such as vomiting. Harumin had left earlier, Mitsuko calling for her.

Things cooled down after that eventful disaster. With home came dinner and after dinner came a bath. Ume had insisted for Mei to take one with Yuzu, in case the other slipped in the bathroom. And given her track record, it was hard to not believe something of that sort wouldn't happen.

And as much as Yuzu enjoyed taking a bathe with Mei, there came the downside of having to resist temptation. Growing up stoic and poised, it was hard to read the other. Often times, Yuzu dismissed Mei as uncaring, not able to get much of a reaction out of her. But as time passed, it became noticeable that the latter struggled with visibly showing emotion, having kept her thoughts to herself. In this way, Mei was protecting herself but from what, Yuzu didn't know as of yet. If there was one thing she prided herself on though, it was making others smile.

But back to the problem at hand: Mei's alluring naked form next to her and her struggling to hold down a blush. It was best to not make eye contact lest her affection be discovered. That's where her thoughts were. In reality though, it was really hard to not succumb to the velvet feeling of Mei washing her hair. She wasn't sure where the good deed was from, probably as a reward from her "rescue" but hey, she'll take what she can get. Even if that was at the cost of her face being as red as a tomato.

"Hey Mei." Yuzu called out, tilting her head back to look at the other in the eyes. "I won't be around for school tomorrow since Mama wants to take me for a check-up so don't feel too lonely without me alright?" When did she get this bold?

In return, Mei gave her a small snort of disbelief, her fingers massaging Yuzu's head at this point. "Only if you promise me the same." Promise was a fragile thing, especially when placed in another's hands but Mei didn't feel that need to hold back. After all, they both knew they would miss each other if just a bit.

"It's a promise!" Yuzu winked, leaning against the bathtub. "A promise that I won't feel super lonely without you, Mei!"

Here they were again, running around in circles. Mei, exhausted from the day's events, opted to head to sleep right away with Yuzu staying up to finish her homework. She couldn't even blame the piling work on her injury. Once a procrastinator, always a procrastinator.

She looked back over her shoulder here and there, grinning at the sight of her stepsister all snuggled up in the blankets. It was adorable in a way. So adorable Yuzu couldn't resist taking out her phone to snap a picture. Glancing at the clock on her phone, it was amazing she didn't yelp. It was already 1 a.m. and Yuzu wasn't even halfway through her make-up work.

Then again, she had the whole day off tomorrow so might as well keep at it. Well into the night, perhaps around 4, the blond gyaru fell asleep, her items scattered on her desk, her head in the crook of her arm. And that was the position Mei found her the next morning. With an almost tender motion, she brought out an extra blanket, placing it over the other. It didn't hurt to sneak a small kiss upon her broken nose as well. Consider her debt fully repaid, Yuzu.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Citrus and its content and characters.**

 **I have to admit, this was fun to write out, attempting to bring the characters alive. As a thought for you readers, I do not intend to make this a story with an actual plotline. Rather, it will be a collection of moments between basketball player gyaru Yuzu and ice queen cheerleader leader Mei and of course, I'll sneak in the other characters as much as I can. Also, another thought to keep in mind, since this is an AU, this is also an AU where Mei's father decided to take over the academy. He will still not be around so often (due to work, parties, etc.) but keep in mind Mei is not being groomed to be the heir to the academy as of yet hence her cheerleader position.**

 **I would really appreciate it if you left your thoughts for this chapter and thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this.**

 **As a side note, my tumblr is fadingphotographyfinancewolf and I would appreciate your support there too! Thank you again!**


	2. Notes

"Yuzu!"

Harumin called out in the hallways, rushing over to the blonde. "You free? You still have to make up for that event two weeks ago Miss Clumsy." She smirked, her hands on her hips as she jutted them out. Despite the two weeks gap already, Yuzu hadn't had time to hang out with her friend like she promised. After the recovery, tournaments kept heading their way and personally, Yuzu didn't want to lose so early in the season.

"Sorry, Harumin! Unfortunately, I got more practice this week for the upcoming match on Friday and my coach would bite my head off if I tried to squirm my way out." And with came a snort from Harumin, leaning in. "Yeah squirming your way out of practice and into Mei's arms."

Was it a surprise Harumin knew? Not really. As Yuzu's reliable best friend, she was the first Yuzu turned to advice for willingly. Unlike Matsuri. Hopefully, that little pink haired devil won't crash in on her house again. It was tiring to deal with Mitsuko's all-knowing glare and smirk of "I knew you swung for the other team".

It was a good thing Yuzu wasn't drinking anything cause she almost instantly choked, sputtering a bit. "I wouldn't do something like that!" She grumbled, shaking her head. At least not on purpose. "Besides, we both know Mei isn't one for deceit and neither am I. Now come on we got class." Still though, it didn't hurt to dream, did it?

Mei couldn't help but wonder if Yuzu was oblivious or dense. Hopefully it was the former because she is going to have to really re-think the attraction to the blonde. Ever since she crashed into her life, insisting on making her a part of her life, slowly but surely, she grew attached to the other. With attachment grew attraction. And with attraction came sneaking multiple glances at Yuzu during practice.

There was something about watching Yuzu whenever she made a shot or ran around the court passing to her teammates. Something that made her stand out to Mei in particular. What was it? The fierce look in her eyes when their opponent challenges her team? That grin of satisfaction at making a shot? Her muscles flexing as she races all over the court in competition for the ball? Whatever it was, there was something satisfying watching Yuzu move with purpose.

Momokino then interrupted her thoughts, calling out," Captain, we need you to sign a few things and then start practice!" Now, Mei wasn't one for being a slacker but to forget to start practice? That was something else. Holding back a sigh, she nodded, making her way to her team to give them their attention. Or at least 50% of it. The other 50% belonged elsewhere.

Her eyes darted around the court whenever she could, attempting to spot the blonde. Subtle was her persona but when it came to Shirapon, a fellow teammate on the cheerleader team, that wasn't quite possible. The older female made a mental note to confront her about that later. The look Mei gave Yuzu didn't seem to be a particularly platonic one, which was rather intriguing.

Before she could dwell on it more however, Mei called for the practice to be over, stating she had paperwork to attend to. That in itself wasn't a complete lie but hey what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

For the time being, she stayed hidden in the office, waiting for her teammates to leave. Besides, she did have paperwork to work on that, that wasn't a lie. But having a secret agenda is a different story. Heading over to the shoe lockers, she slipped a yellow note in the cracks of Yuzu's locker. And with her mini mission done for the day, she went back home, the smallest of smirks upon her lips.

Yuzu on the other hand didn't have any sort of smirk on her face. If anything, she was hunched over, her face red as she tried to catch her breathing. As much as she enjoyed basketball, why did the coach have to push them so hard? As important as the upcoming match was, Yuzu felt like she was dying.

As she made her way to the shoe locker, she heaved a sigh, thinking to herself," _If there is one thing I am thankful for at least, I can get a proper rest tonight."_ Homework could wait. Opening her locker, the look of exhaustion was replaced by a look of exhilaration at the sight of the yellow note.

They started a while back, roughly two months ago and with said note appearing after every practice without fail, it never failed to brighten up her day. She unfurled the note, soaking in each word.

Scribbled was the following:

 _Hey Yuzu,_

 _I'm glad to see that your nose is look better. Good job on not injuring there or anywhere else for the past two weeks. You have that big game on Friday, right? I wish you luck for it and if you win, a reward will be waiting for you. If not, that's up for you to imagine. Don't forget though, be careful._

 _Remember, I am always with you._

 _~Persona_

Taking out an orange post-it, she scribbled her own message for her secret admirer.

 _Hello! Thanks for the note as usual! I'm not sure how you always manage to sneak in a note like this but I feel like you're on the court with me. The thought of that always comforts me, cheering me on when I feel exhausted. Maybe you're the one preventing me from falling today heh._

 _Thanks for the good luck and don't worry I'll win and get that reward!_

 _~Yuzu_

She placed the note back in her shoe locker for Mei to find earlier, a chuckle slipping past her lips. If it wasn't for Harumin dragging her for some discounts, she would have never saw the ice queen slip the note in. Maybe she's cheating a bit for realizing who her pen pal is but deep down, she knew it was the other attempting to communicate more with her. Hopefully, that communication can become verbal in the near future.

 **Author's Note:**

 **I do not own Citrus nor any of its content and characters.**

 **Once again, I have written another successful chapter! Please leave reviews so I know how you feel about this little project for this AU ^^**


	3. Rewards

In retrospect, Mei shouldn't have been so surprised. Yuzu was never the type to be a stickler for rules or follow a carefully designed plan (even if she had been unaware of such a plan). She wasn't quite sure when or how Yuzu found out she wrote those letters. Heck, she wasn't even sure how she wasn't dying of embarrassment right now.

But a promise was a promise. In the last note, she had promised Yuzu a reward if she won the basketball game that Friday, and that Friday night Yuzu definitely swept away the competition. A tad bit scary but a note to put away for later: Mei being a good motivator.

Yuzu, on the other hand, was elated to get her reward. The reward?

An embrace.

As bland as that sounded, Yuzu didn't feel disheartened. Mei wasn't one to do physical contact much less initiate it. Already comfy in their sleepwear and ready for bed, it was nice imagining at the thought of holding her crush close.

The two laid across from each other, Mei's eyes locking onto the other. Yuzu tried to uphold the gaze but there was something about that unique piercing gaze of hers that made her look away here and there. Even five seconds felt too much to her. Her face was flushed while her mind raced to comprehend the situation. For weeks the step-sisters seemed to dance around each other, bringing new meaning to so close yet so far. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that even the ever-patient Harumin and mischievous Matsuri were getting tired of their antics, or rather lack of antics. Matsuri was still waiting to hear back if Mei would be willing to have a threesome.

While Yuzu was busy looking (and acting) like an idiot, Mei was trying to gather up her courage. Contrary to popular belief, she rather enjoyed physical contact or at least the idea of affection altogether. Cuddling up with her humongous teddy bear? No problem. Leaving somewhat romantic notes for Yuzu in her locker? Easy as pie. But actually initiating a cuddle with Yuzu? That was a different story.

Reaching out, she pulled the gyaru into her hold, gently nestling Yuzu's head under the crook of her neck. Momentarily, she wondered if the other could hear the fast beating in her chest. However, she quickly decided that it was the least of her worries, her hand shifting to lightly stroke the blond strains.

"Congratulations on your win." She murmured, her grip tightening if just a bit.

Yuzu was, little to say, flustered. Leaning into her hold, she nestled in close, arms slithering around Mei's waist. Practically melting into Mei's warmth, she smiled, muttering in return. "How could I not with something like this waiting for me?"

With a small huff, Mei opted to hold her closer. "With that broken nose weeks back, it's hard to believe otherwise. "

"I like to see you do better." Was she sulking? Perhaps a tad bit.

"Do what better? Basketball or you? Because regardless, I'm fairly certain I have the flexibility required for both fields."

Yuzu's face flushed, spluttering a bit, internally dying at that statement. "T-That's beside the point!" Then with a pause, she gave Mei this subtle glare combined with a look of disbelief, "/Fairly certain/? That's astute for you to say."

She leaned in, smirking as she realized she could use this piece of information to her advantage. "So astute in fact, it makes me wonder if you've imagined such a scenario before, multiple times if at that?" She challenged, that smirk growing wider as the blush on Mei's face made itself known.

Despite the small upper hand Yuzu had on the younger one, she forgot two details.

A. Mei was a determined individual who often went to great lengths to get what she wanted.

B. What she wanted at the moment was Yuzu's lips that happened to be conveniently placed right there for her to enjoy.

So without further ado, the ice queen cheerleader leaned in to close the distance between their faces, effectively taking the gyaru basketball athlete's lips as hers. Her arms tightened around the blonde's waist as if to ensure her capture, though that part wasn't needed. Sure, Yuzu was stunned, blushing heavily but a kiss on top of cuddles? She should win more games from now on.

With that thought pushed back, she did the same to Mei's lips, returning the affectionate gesture. It was amazing she didn't flat out faint from this or fell off the bed somehow but hey, neither of them were complaining.

Not that they were able to at the moment anyway.

The two were forced to pull away due to lack of air, their chests heaving. For a moment, it felt as time itself halted, allowing the two to revel in this small moment of theirs. Yuzu wasn't sure what this meant, if they were officially lovers or not. Mei wasn't sure why her heart was beating heavily in her chest, unable to control herself. Yuzu had never been in this situation while Mei never had to deal with her feelings directly in such a manner.

"S-So. . ." Yuzu grinned nervously, her fingers playing with the edge of Mei's sleepwear pants. "Am I allowed a kiss for every point scored in that game." If she recalled correctly, her team had scored with a total of 86 points. "Ya know, as a reward for winning and all."

"As much of a nice idea that would be," Mei leaned in, closing the distance between their lips once more, "It would be a bit repetitive if I kissed in the same spot over and over again."

Mei then deepened the kiss in an attempt to taste more of the sweet known as Yuzu. It seems her attempts were well-received judging from the sudden grip of the other, fingers lightly tugging on the back of her shirt. At the tug, she couldn't help but pull away a bit, enough to allow her to slip in a tease, "Granted we're already in bed together before the first date but wanting my shirt off as well? Isn't that a bit too fast?"

Yuzu to her part didn't fail to disappoint, her face exploding in red all over again. Opting to hide her face in the crook of Mei's neck, she nuzzled in close. With the lack of eye contact, it was easier to retaliate. "If that's one way for the head cheerleader to fall for me without all those fancy twirls."

"Yuzu, even without those fancy twirls as you call it, at least I don't get a nose injury every other day due to tripping over one's own feet." Mei deadpanned.

"But but even so! At least those sort of injuries happen off the court."

"And on the court," Mei pointed out, referring to the nose injury when Yuzu decided to catch the ball with her face rather than her hands.

"Yeah yeah. I've got plenty of marks to prove that," She huffed, temporarily looking away, knowing Mei got her good. She couldn't help but smirking internally though. Thinking back on it, Mei never did deny falling for her. She had subtly changed the topic into establishing Yuzu's clumsiness but she never directly denied the mini accusation nor did she seem uncomfortable.

Yuzu was jolted out of her thoughts though when Mei leaned in to place a light kiss on her jawline. "I wouldn't mind leaving marks on you to prove something else."

And that's it. That was it. Yuzu's face seemed to like that particular shade of bright red, her body frozen in place. Now how was she supposed to respond to that? A teasing remark? Perhaps but knowing her mouth, that didn't like it was possible. A kiss or something physical to throw Mei off her game? Knowing the other, she would retaliate back and the blonde knew very well that Mei knew that she wouldn't be able to handle the retaliation well.

Besides, marking each other just yet seemed to be going too fast. Sighing in submission, she placed another kiss on Mei's lips. "Let's save that for another time alright Miss Cheerleader Who Has a Competition tomorrow. It's already 11 p.m. and if I recall correctly, the competition starts at 8 a.m." The blush remained on Yuzu's cheeks, refusing to go away for the sake of embarrassing its owner even more.

"And who knows, depending on how the competition goes, maybe I'll give you a reward of my own." She gave Mei a sly grin, that kind of plotting grin similar to Matsuri's, which said a lot right then and there.

Unfazed by the smirk, Mei responded with an "Alright" before tucking herself into bed, rolling into the sheets comfortably. Although she didn't account for Yuzu cuddling her from behind, muttering a soft reminder about the reward before hearing the other drift off into dreamland. It wasn't often she felt this warm and safe so she decided to savor it a bit longer before she too fell asleep, one hand unknowingly moving to grasp at Yuzu's hand.

Daylight came, Yuzu ironically being the one to stir first. As much of a somewhat heavy sleeper as she was, something felt out of place. Her hand seemed to be holding something rather. . .soft. It didn't feel flurry like their blankets and pillows and neither did it feel bouncy like their bed. Shifting her fingers, she decided to do fondle whatever she was holding, a bit surprised at the small bounciness she felt later.

Wait a second. Soft, bit bouncy. . . Suddenly memories from last night went flooding into her brain and she remembered distinctly that she was cuddling Mei from behind, her hand wrapped around Mei's waist. Her eyes snapped open in an instant, realizing with a blush that was starting to make its presence well known, that her hand was inappropriately placed on Mei's chest. Shifting as little as possible, she peered over Mei's shoulder (curse the bit of height difference!) and was met with a sigh she didn't particularly expect.

Her hand was indeed on top of Mei's chest but in return, the cheerleader's hand was on top of hers. Yuzu wasn't quite sure what this meant but she didn't feel like facing the other's wrath so early in the morning. Plus it would be bad if she showed up to her competition in a foul mood.

As slowly and silently as she could, she slid from the bed, getting ready for the day. Taking a shower, putting out her outfit and make-up, gathering her school supplies, she felt prepared for once rather than the usual ten minute rush to get to school. Glancing at the clock, she internally cursed, having not realized it got fairly late. If Mei didn't wake up soon, being late to the competition was a very real possibility.

How to wake up the other though? Usually the younger one was the one to wake up before her and it was her who required the waking up. Opting for the traditional method, she stirred Mei, enough to hopefully jolt her awake before leaning in to shout the best she could without hurting the other's hearing. "Mei wake up! The competition is soon and if you don't get ready right now, you'll be late! And the team kind of needs their leader!"

This method was quite effective but for another reason. One of Mei's weakness was her ears. Shouting required air and that air happened to be blow past Mei's ears, which was enough to jolt her awake, sitting up so quickly Yuzu didn't have time to pull back.

And bam! Their foreheads bumped against each other, an angry red marking where the contact was. Deciding it was too early to listen to Yuzu's endless apologies, she chose to look at the clock. 6:45 the clock read and the competition was at 8.

She sent a quick "Thank you" and an "I'll see you later for my reward" to Yuzu before rushing off to gather her outfit and ready herself for the day.

Soon enough, Mei found herself in the competition, her eyes quickly scanning the crowd. It wasn't hard to find what she was looking for, a blonde head in the sea of a dark haired crowd. With her discovery came a surge of confidence and she focused on the routines her team had practiced tirelessly for at least a month, ensuring their first win of the season. As much as Himeko sighed endlessly under her breath at hearing the shouts of her love rival and Shirapon giving her unnerving look of "I know", the ice queen wasn't going to complain about the cheers she was receiving from Yuzu. She made a mental note to repay the favor next week.

The competition was fairly short, given it was the first match of the season. If anything, the main advantage for the victory was establishing their lead early in the game. It goes without saying that the early bird gets the worm and that's exactly what Mei intended to lead her team to. As predicted, they won the brief match with flying colors. She intended to get her reward later.

And that's exactly what she did during the lunch break. Harumin was out on a sick day but knowing her, it wasn't as simple as that. Perhaps Matsuri succeeded in enticing Harumin in staying in her bed in a rather effective manner. Almost instantly she regretted that train of thought. Her mind strayed from Harumin and Matsuri rolling around in the bed to her and Yuzu making the headboard bang harshly against the wall. Her imagination started to meld with the intimate moment from last night, remembering how much she _desired_ the athlete. In hindsight, it was best that they hadn't stripped down and made love last night. It was best to establish whatever _this_ was between them before any regrettable actions could occur. She was almost, _almost_ , thankful Yuzu was around to see the flush spreading across her cheeks and ears but she had a prize to claim.

For a moment, she mused if the prize would be Yuzu herself.

"Mei!" She heard her name called out, the one she was looking for rushing full speed at her. Emphasis on full speed. In no time, Yuzu, bless her lack of agility at times, crashed into Mei. Perhaps this was revenge for earlier that morning.

Regardless, Yuzu found herself on top of the cheerleader, wincing in pain. "Sorry Mei! Kind of lost my footing there." Her voice was a bit muffled due to her head being buried in the other's chest, with an unintentional nuzzle. Okay maybe it was a bit intentional.

After all, she needed something to ease her pain, right?

Before she could nestle closer, Mei cleared her throat, wiping her previous imagination from her mind as quick as possible. It wouldn't be good to pounce on Yuzu on school grounds. Not yet anyway.

"Yuzu." She started off sternly, giving the other a well-placed glare, "No running on the school grounds." As much as she liked the warmth radiating from the other, now was not the time nor the place. After they both gained their bearings, Mei brushed the dirt off her skirt, "Now what was so important that you had to run, screaming my name?"

"Well without Harumin around today and Matsuri busy doing whatever the heck she's doing, I figured it was a good time to remind you that you have a reward to claim." She beamed, "So meet me at the school entrance after school alright? Basketball practice got cancelled today to give us a day's rest at least and I'm fairly certain your coach does the same."

She paused, shooting Mei a questioning look to make sure she was right. When given a nod, she continued, noticeably more excited, "This is the perfect outing for us! We can enjoy the sights, treat ourselves and relax a bit before we get overloaded with school!"

So in other words: a date.

Mei felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. Then again, it wouldn't hurt to know her future partner more. So with a sigh and a nod, she agreed to the other's request, Yuzu jumping in excitement before rushing back to the classroom at the bell ringing.

Somehow, she felt this was going to be a long day.

That prediction later turned out to be true when school ended, welcoming her to a scenery of rain. She had an umbrella so that wasn't the issue. The issue was a certain jock, who forgot her own umbrella, clinging to her arm. Her cheeks heated up at feeling the skin contact, Yuzu ranting about how she was looking forward to the sunny weather.

You would think that for a girl who was obsessed with her mobile phone would at least check the weather.

For the rest of their free time, the two ate, talked about their upcoming games, and had a nice walk once the rain ended, with Mei stealing kisses from Yuzu's appealing lips. What? It's not like she could resist those lips to begin with. Plus she always did have a sweet tooth.

Exhausted from the day's events, Mei went for bed and Yuzu soon followed suit but not before stealing a kiss from the other.

"Mei." She called out gently, her arms sliding around the cheerleader's slim waist. "Before you sleep, you should probably claim your reward first."

Mei narrowed her eyes in return, her head tilted, "Wasn't the date the reward?" Thinking back on it, their special outing was rather tender and with the way Yuzu was acting, it wasn't hard to determine that the reward for her win was a date. A reward was something that she, the receiver, should find pleasurable, right? And the date exceeded her expectations. It gave her a sense of how if Yuzu and she were an actual item, how they would act around each other.

But back to the issue at hand. The smirk Yuzu had couldn't bode well. "Well, technically, it was _one_ part of the reward." Tugging at Mei's hips, she guided her onto her lap, her smirk turning into a gentler smile. "Think of this as a way to make up for lost time."

One hand went to curl itself behind Mei's neck before tugging forcefully, making the other lean forward to seal their lips in another kiss. It didn't take long for either of them to melt into the kiss, Yuzu biting at Mei's lower lip. The latter's hips bucked at the bite but it didn't take long to retaliate, aiming for Yuzu's upper lip. Unfortunately their bodies called for air, Mei having to pull back here and there but she would come back for more. She had a weakness for sweet things and what she desired the most at the moment was Yuzu's lips, her fingers slyly sliding under Yuzu's shirt, tracing random shapes on the small of her back.

The sudden contact was enough to make Yuzu jolt but that didn't stop her from moving her kisses from Mei's delicious lips to her sharp jawline and slender neck. "Remember how last night, you said you wanted to leave marks to prove something?"

Mei had trouble recalling that memory vividly due a certain jock's lips teasing at her sensitive area. "O-Of course." She groaned lightly at the contact, her grip tightening. "I still plan to accomplish that."

"Patience, Mei." She lightly chided, kissing at her collarbone. "See, I was thinking. . . since you mentioned such a thing and you still owe me those 80 something kisses for yesterday's game, why not kill two birds with one stone?" As if to make her point, she playfully bit at her collarbone before soothing the hurt area with her tongue. Mei on the other hand was an incoherent mess, her face crimson as she tried to withhold making any more noises.

Thank goodness Ume was off on a two day business trip. Mei's mind, unfortunately, was in too much of a disarray to remember that important detail, her body instinctively trying to be as quiet as possible. Finally after what seemed like hours, she managed to whimper out, "And what does this have to do with our date being one part of my reward?"

"Well, that's the thing. Think of it in another way, the reward is me." She smirked, letting the words soak in. Although it was a bit hard to comprehend at first with Yuzu's damn lips tugging at her own once more. "You could enjoy your reward by marking me and giving me each of those kisses you still owe me. A win-win right?"

Mei stared at her through half-lidded eyes, wondering when she became such a devious fox. Actions spoke louder than words and in this case, what would a mark on Yuzu's neck signify? With that in mind, she shifted to press Yuzu down into the bed, her hands grabbing at the front of her shirt. "One condition."

"Only one?" A teasing remark was shot back.

"I'll come up with more when time allows it. For now though," hands are tugging off said shirt, "Don't cover up the marks above your collarbone with makeup."

"What's there to stop me from not following your condition?"

"Us not doing future endeavors like this." A fair point there.

"How can you resist all of this?" Yuzu gestures to all of her.

"Easily." Says the one who was ready to pounce her earlier.

"Oh?" Cue smirk, her fingers poised to grab the other close.

"I stand by my word."

"Let's test your resolve then." And with that Yuzu flipped them, hovering over Mei as her hands made quick work of the latter's clothing.

The next day, the ice queen cheerleader walked with a noticeable limp while the basketball jock had angry marks on her neck. There looked to be about three but the reality was there was way more. As much as Yuzu enjoyed being marked up, weird looks were not on her agenda for the day. So as a compromise, make-up for the majority of the marks that could be seen, leaving a few to show off the events of last night.

It was almost embarrassing the way Himeko followed her around like a puppy, asking constantly about Mei's limp, worried she had somehow sprained her ankle during class.

But hey, it was so worth it.

Bonus:

Text:

[To Yuzu]

Why can't y'all flirt as smoothly as your fingers sliding right in?

Sincerely, Harumin

 **Writer's Note:**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Citrus.**

 **Finally I finished up this chapter! I originally intended it for be 1k words, make it a short sweet fluffy piece and then somehow it became this. I had others help me with this work, whether it would be the tone or the ideas so I'm actually proud of this mini piece I wrote.**

 **I hope you readers enjoyed this, laughing with YuzuMei.**

 **Please leave a review!**


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